


Staring at Firework

by Ephemeral_Joy



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: 4+1, Canon Compliant, Charlie's point of view, F/M, Fluff, Idiots in Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 08:47:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12931743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ephemeral_Joy/pseuds/Ephemeral_Joy
Summary: ‘I don’t like her, the way you imply it,’ Charlie narrowed his eyes, not sure to believe him or not, ‘but she’s cool. She doesn’t moon over me like Ruby.’‘Right,’ Charlie drawled. Gilbert was a terrible liar.4 times Charlie had something to say about Gilbert and Anne, and the 1 time he didn't.





	Staring at Firework

**Author's Note:**

> I have exams and I like procrastinating so - - this is it.  
> Disclaimer: This is in Charlie's POV, so the writing is a bit more simplistic (and dull) as we're in his head and not the vibrant, extravagant head of Anne or Gilbert. I do hope you still enjoy it. 
> 
> Not edited.

**1**

When Gilbert stepped through the doors of their little school, Charlie had wanted to call his name. Greet him, and ask how the trip went. He has never been out of Avonlea, and hearing about adventures outside of the world he knew was exciting. But he stopped himself, as his friend seemed to be talking with the new girl. The orphan girl. Her name was Anna or Anne. He couldn’t remember. From his point of view, he saw the girl cautiously smiling at him. He couldn’t see Gilbert’s face, but Charlie assumed he was smiling as well. Gilbert edged closer to the girl and without thinking about it, Charlie opened his mouth.  
‘Gilbert!’  
The boy looked up, surprised, as if he had forgotten he was there. Perhaps he was. Charlie didn’t know. As he slapped Gilbert on the back, his scrutinising eyes followed the scrawny girl. Was she a witch or something? Wouldn’t be so weird with her hair. Gilbert normally never payed attention to a girl, now that he thought about it.   
‘Why were you hanging out with that orphan girl?’  
‘Why not?’, Gilbert simply asked, shrugging his scarf off. It stunned Charlie for a moment. He wanted to ask why he didn’t hang out with Ruby Gillis instead, or Josie Pye. From all the girls in Avonlea, he walked in with the orphan. It confused Charlie.

**2**

As friends around him were animatedly talking about their adventures from the day before (“I hunted a rabbit!”, “Nah, you’re lying!”, “Am not!”), Charlie discreetly searched for Gilbert between the students. It shouldn’t be that hard, as he was quite tall for his age. Was he still inside, asking Philips how to pick up where they are now. His questions were quickly answered when Gilbert indeed left the building. They held eye contact for a second, Charlie smiling at him to come join them. Gilbert smiled back, but instead of sauntering towards them, he took a sharp turn towards the stream. He couldn’t see what was happening. Was he taking a piss or something? Charlie shuddered. What if someone caught him in the act of doing it?  
Suddenly, Anne (he heard Diana say her name. It was Anne, _not_ Anna.) stormed away with a red face from the stream. Charlie rose his eyebrows. What was _she_ doing there with _him_? Or better yet, why did _he_ advance _her_? Eventually, Gilbert appeared as well, sitting down next to him with an easy smile and an apple.  
‘Did you take a piss or something?’, Charlie joked. He wondered if his best friend would be able to tell the truth with all the guys surrounding him.  
‘No. Just… trying to get acquainted with Anne.’  
Charlie frowned slightly. He didn’t even try to deny it. All the other boys sputtered out a laugh and Billy shook his head.  
Gilbert dragged a hand through his curls. ‘She’s just a girl guys, not the Monster of Loch Ness.’  
Charlie didn’t know what that was, but he assumed it was one of the fish Gilbert saw on one of his trips. He didn’t really care.

**3**

‘H A U G H T Y.’  
‘Callous.’  
‘C A L L O U S.’  
The spelling bee took an intense turn, when Gilbert and Anne were the only ones left and swiftly spelled all the words correctly. (To no one’s surprise. Those two seemed to be geniuses and were constantly competing. It was almost expected for them to end up.)  
Charlie noticed something, and it wasn’t the stench coming from the boy in front of him. Didn’t he ever wash himself?  
Anne and Gilbert quickly glanced at each other, which wasn’t out of the ordinary. What was, was Gilbert’s stare. He kept looking at her.  
‘Penitent.’ It was Anne’s turn.  
‘P E N…’, Charlie saw a smile edge on Gilbert’s face. Not a victorious one, more so one of adoration. Charlie blinked. Did Gilbert _like_ the orphan girl?, ‘I T E N T.’  
Gilbert seemed to have caught himself as Philips said the next word: ‘Intentions.’ Charlie shook his head slightly. What an idiot.  
‘I N T E N T I O N S.’  
Anne’s stance weakened. It was a hard word, and Gilbert had spelled it with ease. Anne’s eyes flitted towards him, and Gilbert tensed his jaw, staring back at her in a challenging kind of way. Charlie briefly remembers the time his brother was flirting with a girl he met on the market, and he had the same look on his face as Gilbert now.  
‘Persevere.’  
‘P E R… S E,’ What was he doing?!, Charlie wanted to scream. His eyes shot to Ruby, who seemed to have noticed Gilbert’s stare as well. Gilbert just didn’t care people saw it. He definitely didn’t care he was hurting Ruby’s feelings., ‘V E R E.’  
‘Engagement.’ Gilbert’s turn again. He heard Billy smirk behind him. this was an easy one compared to the others.  
‘E N G A G M-‘  
A small smile broke on Anne’s face, and Charlie knew then that Gilbert had lost. From a girl.  
‘That is incorrect.’  
Gilbert looked down, smiling to himself. Why was he smiling? He lost!

Later that day, he remembered he saw Gilbert smile and congratulate Anne. Maybe he truly was happy that she won. What an odd situation.

**4**

‘So… how’s Anne?’  
Charlie looked up. ‘What?’  
Now that Gilbert doesn’t go to school anymore, they’ve been hanging out more. Charlie hated the thought of Gilbert being alone with his sick father, trying to keep everything working and together whilst not falling apart himself. Charlie figured he’d like the company every once and a while.  
They’ve been talking about their friends, and school, and suddenly the girl comes up.  
He shrugged innocently. ‘How is she? Still on top?’  
Charlie mimicked his movement. ‘Uh – I guess. I don’t talk to her.’  
Gilbert pursed his lips, nodding. Charlie got agitated. This had to stop.  
‘Why do you like this girl so much?’, it came out harsher then expected. But he said it, not turning back.  
Gilbert’s cheek reddened, Charlie was sure it wasn’t because of the cold.  
‘I don’t _like_ her, the way you imply it,’ Charlie narrowed his eyes, not sure to believe him or not, ‘but she’s cool. She doesn’t moon over me like Ruby.’  
‘Right,’ Charlie drawled. Gilbert was a terrible liar.  
‘It’s the truth,’ he simply replied.  
After a pause, Gilbert spoke again, ‘Why? Do you like her or something?’  
‘What?!’, Charlie exclaimed, nose scrunching, ‘no! Gross!’  
‘Anne’s not gross!’, Gilbert defended.  
Charlie kept himself from arguing with him. This was not how he intended for this conversation to go. It was quite clear that Gilbert had a crush on her. He was a terrible liar and when he asked if he liked her, Gilbert’s eyes expressed jealousy.

She was truly a witch.

As if the devil heard them, the doorbell rang. Charlie frowned, and Gilbert looked like he wanted to have him gone. Who was at the door?  
‘Stay here.’ Gilbert disappears.  
A few moments later, he heard Anne’s voice. ‘Your books.’  
‘Thanks.’  
‘How’s your father?’  
‘He’s… okay. I guess.’  
There was a pause. Charlie briefly wondered if they were staring at each other.  
‘Well, see you tomorrow…,’ Anne trailed of, her voice fading.  
‘Bye.’  
Gilbert appeared again with a ridiculous smile on his face. It dropped when he saw Charlie’s incredulous look. Since when did she drop of his books? And why didn’t Philips ask him? or Billy or Moody? Has it been going on for a while? Why didn’t Gilbert tell him that? Maybe he wanted to keep her for himself.  
‘Don’t say anything.’  
‘I won’t.’

**+5**

‘Hi’, Gilbert breathed out, staring at Anne’s face longer than that was acceptable. She looked prettier than usual, he found. Her hair was loose, for once, and her eyes were brighter.  
‘Hey,’ she tugged her lips upwards, handing him new schoolwork, ‘Your dad feeling any better?’  
‘No,’ he told her truthfully. He wasn’t worsening, but he wasn’t healing either. Gilbert wondered if that was how his father would die. Kind of okay, kind of not.  
Anne nodded. ‘They miss you at school – Ruby especially,’ she gasped as she said the latter, hand slapped on her mouth. ‘Don’t tell her I said that! It’s a secret!’  
Gilbert chuckled. ‘I already knew. She isn’t subtle about it.’  
Anne relaxed. ‘Oh. You should tell her you know. It’s not fair for Ruby.’  
Gilbert looked down momentarily. ‘Yeah…’, he should, but he’d rather avoid the situation.  
‘Well…,’ Anne drawled, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

‘Wait.’ It came out before his brain caught up.  
She turned back, startled. ‘What?’  
‘Do you…’, he gulped, not knowing what to do, ‘do you want to come in? I don’t understand something from the homework you gave yesterday.’  
Anne’s eyes lit up in excitement and pride. ‘ _The_ Gilbert Blythe doesn’t understand something? I never thought I’d see the day,’ she said with dramatic flourish, stepping inside. He grinned to himself like a fool, closing the door behind him.  

‘… then you multiply both sections with two, so that you have no fractions anymore. From there it’s just a normal equation.’  
‘Why don’t the others get multiplied with two as well?’  
Anne shrugged, ‘That’s just the rule.’ Her foot suddenly bumped against his. She retracted immediately, flushing red. ‘Sorry! My foot slipped.’  
‘Right,’ he drawled. What was he doing? She was telling the truth.  
Anne crossed her arms. ‘Well – yes.’  
‘You were flirting with me,’, he teased, praying his cheeks didn’t turn red.  
Her jaw fell slack, standing upright, ‘I was not!’  
He followed suit, grinning as he stood at the opposite side if the table. She narrowed her eyes at him, awaiting his move. Alright. They were playing games. Anne dashed right, running to the door, but Gilbert caught up with her. In one sweep, his arms circled around her waist and twirled her around, back to the living room. She squealed, and it was probably the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.  
‘Gilbert! Put me down!’  
‘Don’t you like finally being tall?’  
‘Gilbert!’  
Much to his dismay, he set her down, grin splitting his face in two.  
‘You’re an idiot Gilbert Blythe,’ Anne huffed, face red and eyes crinkling with joy. Even she couldn’t deny she liked it, which made his heart lurch.   
‘Do you still need help?’, she continued, pointing at his book.  
‘No. I got it.’  
‘Good. I want to win fair and square.’  
‘I know.’  
Anne seemed to bit back a smile, and Gilbert smirked victoriously. Another win for him.

Charlie saw all of that sneakily through the window. He’d been trudging through the snow, going to spent another afternoon at Gilbert’s house. But when he got there, Anne was keeping him pleasant company.

He wanted to dislike it. Be mad, even. It was an orphan girl from God knows where! But when he saw them smiling at each other, with clear adoration, he couldn’t help but chuckle. They genuinely liked each other. He didn’t know precisely what that was, but he couldn’t be mad about it. Not when Gilbert looked at Anne like she was firework.  


End file.
